Xylophone



July 1, 1941. H. ZIMMERMAN XYLOPHONE Filed May 5, 1941 INVENTOR.

Patented July 1, 1941 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE XYLOPHONE Harry Zimmerman, New York, N. Y.

Application May 3, 1941, Serial No. 391,666

6 Claims.

This invention relates to xylophones and has for one of its objects the provision of such a musical instrument in which the sounding members are suspended in a highly eificient yet inexpensive manner.

Another object of the invention is the provision of a device of this nature comprising a pair of spaced apart rails suitably supported on a pair of end walls, and resonant bars or sounding members suspended from the said rails upon sound insulated pins or the like carried by the said rails.

A further object of [the invention is the provision of such a musical instrument in which the frame which supports the sounding members together with the support upon which the said frame rests form a resonator or sound chamber.

Another object is (to produce a device of the character described in which the maximum simplicity of construction and operation is secured.

Other objects and advantages will appear as the nature of the improvements is better understood, the invention consisting substantially in the novel arrangement and co-relation of parts herein fully described and illustrated in the accompanying drawing, wherein similar reference characters are used to describe corresponding parts throughout the several views, and then finally pointed out and. specifically defined and indicated in the appended-claims.

The disclosure made the basis of exemplifying the present inventive concept suggests a practical embodiment thereof, but the invention is not to be restricted to the exact details of this disclosure, and the latter, therefore, is to be understood from an illustrative rather than a restrictive standpoint.

In the accompanying drawing- Fig. 1 is a perspective View of a Xylophone made in accordance with my invention;

Fig. 2 is cross-sectional view taken on line 2-4, Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a fragmental side view thereof;

Fig. 4 is a top plan view of one of the sounding members and Fig. 5 is a fragmental side view of a somewhat modified form of the invention.

Referring now to Figs. 1 to 4 of the drawing in detail indicates the frame of my improved Xylophone. The said frame comprises one end wall I l and a. somewhat narrower end wall l2, a pair of upper side rails l3 and a pair of lower rails I4 each secured to the end walls II and I2 by means of nails IE or by any other suitable means, the said upper and lower rails forming longitudinally split side walls.

In order to avoid conflicting vibrations and consequent distortion of the musical tones, the sounding members are usually insulated from their support by means of strips of felt glued to the top surface of such supports or by providing special and expensive suspension means for the said ounding members. Both of the foregoing methods of suspending or supporting the said sounding members entail considerable work and expense. In order to overcome such extra labor and expense, I have provided a simple, inexpensive, yet highly eflicient suspension means, a description of which follows.

In the present instance, I have provided suspension means for the sounding members I6 which comprises pins or nails I! which preferably pass through elongated slots or openings iii in the sounding members and are driven into the the upper wooden rails l3, the said nails being insulated from the sounding members by means of insulating washers or strips of cardboard or the like IS on the nails. Due to gravity the sounding members rest on the said washers or strips I9 and make frictional contact with them. This frictional contact is sufiicient to normally maintain the sounding members against movement about the pins or suspension nails If. The sounding members It project outwardly of the frame [0 through opening 26 formed in the rails I3 and I4.

While I have shown and prefer to use semitubular sounding members, I desire it understood that wherever desirable I may use fiat or tubular sounding members without departing from the scope of the appended claims.

In Fig. 5 I have shown a modified form of my invention wherein I have omitted the bottom rails I4 and have further insulated the suspension nails or pins I! by means of insulating collars or tubes 2| which may be integral with the washers H3 or rest thereupon and pass through the openings IS in the sounding members It thus insuring against contact between the supporting nails and sounding members when the latter are accidentally moved to and fro or sidewise.

From the foregoing it will be seen that I have provided a Xylophone comprising sounding members suspended from nails or the like from which they are insulated against direct contact by means of strips or washers made of sound insulating material and upon which the said sounding members are gravity supported.

It will further be seen that the above described construction provides a simple yet highly eflicient suspension means for the sounding members of xylophones or other similar musical instruments.

Having described my invention what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent 1. In a Xylophone, a frame having longitudinally split and apertured side walls, resonant bars extending through opposite apertures in the side walls, the said bars having spaced apart openings, and insulated supporting pins in the said apertures passing through the openings in the bars and forming suspension means therefor.

2. In a Xylophone, a frame having longitudinally split and apertured side walls, resonant bars extending through opposite apertures in the side walls, the said bars having spaced apart openings, a pin in each Wall perforation depending downwardly therefrom and passing through an opening in its respective bar, and an insulating washer on each pin upon which the bar rests.

3. In a Xylophone, a frame having a pair of spaced apart rails, a plurality of pins depending from each rail, the pins in one rail being in alinement with the pins in the other of said rails, a perforated resonant bar suspended from each pair of opposing pins and sound insulating strips upon the said pins upon which the resonant bar is supported.

4.7In a Xylophone, a frame having a pair of spaced apart rails, a plurality of pins depending from each rail, the pins in one rail being in alignment with the pins in the other of said rails, a perforated resonant bar suspended from each pair of opposing pins, sound insulating strips upon the said pins upon which the resonant bar is supported and a sound insulating collar on each of the strips passing through the bar perforations as and for the purpose specified.

5. In a Xylophone, a frame open at the top and bottom and including end walls and split perforated side walls which together with the support upon which the Xylophone rests forms a resonating chamber, suspension pins extending downwardly in each perforation, a perforated resonant bar suspended from each pair of opposing pins, and insulating means on the pins upon which the bar rests.

6. In a Xylophone, a frame, a plurality of semitubular spaced apart resonant bars suspended in the frame, the suspension means for each bar comprising pins passing into the frame and depending downwardly therefrom and each pin passing through an opening near each end of the bar, and an insulating washer on each pin upon which the bar rests.

HARRY ZIMMERMAN. 

